Banesco USA VS Citizens Bank

Which bank is better for you?

  • Financial Rates: 2.5 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 4.5 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.0 Star Icon
1.35%APY
Savings/MMA
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Pros:

  • Low opening amounts for most accounts
  • Good variety of accounts available
  • Competitive interest rates on accounts
  • Options to contact customer service

Cons:

  • Cannot open all accounts online
  • Accounts have monthly fees
  • MMA have high opening amounts
  • Tiered interest rates on some accounts
  • Financial Rates: 1.5 Star Icon
  • Customer Service: 4.0 Star Icon
  • Website Experience: 5.0 Star Icon
  • Bank Fees: 3.5 Star Icon
No Rate Information
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Pros:

  • No set amount to open most accounts
  • Good variety of accounts available
  • Overdraft Pass
  • Can open most accounts online

Cons:

  • Products not available everywhere
  • Accounts have monthly fees
  • Limited CD terms offered
  • Low interest rates for accounts
Banesco USA Review

Most Banesco USA accounts have low opening required amounts. The personal deposit checking and savings accounts only require $100 to open. The personal deposit CDs require $1,500 to open.

Banesco USA has a good variety of accounts. They offer personal checking, savings, and money market accounts. They offer personal and business CDs with terms from 3-months to 60-months. They offer business checking, savings, and money market accounts. Banesco offers personal and business international banking accounts, along with lending options.

The Banesco USA accounts offer competitive interest rates. The rates are competitive with other online accounts. The rates are much higher than typical bank rates.

There are a variety of ways to contact customer service. You can call during business hours or can have Banesco call you. You send an email, and customer service will call you. You can visit a local branch location or follow Banesco on social media. You can access account information anytime through BanescoVoice or logging in online.

Not all Banesco USA accounts can be opened online. To open their checking accounts, you must contact customer service. Other accounts may not be able to open online. Personal deposit money market and savings accounts can be opened online. Personal deposit CDs are also able to be opened online.

Most Banesco USA accounts have monthly fees. The fees range from $5 to $15 each month. To waive the fees, you must keep a set account balance in the specific account. This balance is not a combination of Banesco USA accounts. Those balances range from $100 to $2,500 depending on the account.

The Banesco USA money market accounts have high opening required amounts. Each of the personal deposit money market accounts require $2,500 to open. You must keep that amount in the accounts to avoid a monthly fee. If the amount falls below $2,500, the fee is between $5 to $15 per month.

Some Banesco USA accounts have tiered interest rates. The BanesFlex money market account requires $2,500 to earn any interest. But, to earn the most competitive rate offered you must have $100,000 in the account. Balances under this amount earn a much lower rate. The BanesGrown savings account only requires $300 to earn the most competitive rate.

Read the full Banesco USA review.

Citizens Bank Review

Checking, savings, and money market accounts do not have required opening amounts. However, to earn the best rates, you must be a Platinum member. A Platinum member has at least $25,000 in Citizen Bank accounts. The basic checking and savings accounts do not require you to be a Platinum member.

Citizens Bank offers a variety of accounts. These accounts include:

  • Four personal checking accounts
  • Three personal money market accounts
  • Four personal savings accounts
  • CD terms of 11, 14, and 24-month CDs
  • IRA accounts
  • Personal credit cards, lending, retirement, and investment options
  • Business savings, checking, and money market accounts
  • Business CDs
  • Credit cards, lending, and investment options for businesses

Checking and money market accounts include $5 Overdraft Pass. If you overdraw your account for $5 or less, there will not be a fee. To avoid other overdraft fees, deposit money into your account as soon as possible. There is no limit to how many overdrafts qualify for the pass.

If you live where Citizens Bank account are available, you can open most personal accounts online. The application is entirely online. To open the College Saver savings account, you need to visit a branch location. Business and IRA account must also be opened in a branch.

Accounts are not available everywhere. Citizens Bank currently operates in 11 states. If you do not live in one of these states, you cannot open an account. Those states are:

  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont

Citizen Bank accounts have fees. The fees range from $3.99 to $25 each month. There are ways to waive the fees. Those included making deposits and having set account balances. The balances range from $2,500 to $25,000, depending on the account. You can waive some money market and savings account fees by opening a Platinum checking account.

There are only three standard CD terms offered through Citizens Bank. They offer 11, 14, and 24-month CDs. The 14-month CD is an online-only account. Each term requires $1,000 to open. Business and IRA CDs are also available.

Most Citizens Bank accounts have low rates. The interest rates compare to typical brick-and-mortar bank rates. The CDs offer slightly higher rates if you also open a Citizens Bank checking account. Even those higher rates are not competitive with other online accounts.

Read the full Citizens Bank review.

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